Downtown Tampa Twilight Crit Report
Downtown Tampa Crit – CAT 5 field
Short version: The weather was gorgeous. The field was huge (70!). I crashed about 10 laps in. I was given a free lap. I finished 36th out of 70.
Long version: They should have renamed this race to “The Bricks of Tampa Criterium” as half of each lap was done on cobblestone-like bricks. I got stuck lining up at the back of the pack, again…..I gotta work on that. Whistle blows, we’re off. So many turns (six 90 degree turns each lap) and the field is not exactly a field but a really really long paceline. Workin hard, learning really quick about cornering into a headwind. Here comes lap 10. The field had split into two main groups and alot of people off the back. I was in the 2nd group, staying at 3rd wheel. We came around turn 3 just fine when on the straight, the guy who was first wheel slows suddenly and swerves. This caused the front wheel of the 2nd guy to touch his back wheel and down the 2nd guy went. I had no way of avoiding contact. I had to make a decision, run over the guy that just tumbled, or run his bike over…..I chose his bike. I end up going over my handlebars and landing on my head/shoulder/back. Witness say they thought I would have had a broken collarbone with the way I landed. Helmets save lives, by the way. A race official comes running over and the first thing out of my mouth is “Do I get a free lap for that?” He tells me if I can make it to the start line, they will restart me. I do so and join back up with the second group. However, the damage was done. I hurt pretty phenominally after that and hung at the back of that group for the remainder of the race. I finished 36th out of 70.
